St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-26
MATTERS IN MONTANA.
Interviews With Stock Men on the North
ern Ranges--The Losses Much
Exaggerated.
Great Work Being Done by the Manitoba
Road in Developing the
Territory.
A Vast and Unsurpassed countrv
tributary to the Twin cities Soon
to be Opened.
some Points for Our Business Men
VINO Desire the Trade of a New
legion.
Special Correspondence of the G,one

legion.
Special Correspondence of the Globe.
FORT BENTON, Mont, March 2O.-Tha
| hardest winter known in Montana within
the recollection of the oldest inhabitant-
ana he IS resident of Fort Benton, having
Deen aVoyageur Of the American Fur COM
pany, his coming here dating from 1885
IS over and we are now having genuine
May weather in March. In the interest of
one OF the leading industries of the terri
tOry-stock groWing-it could not be better,
me stock that came through the protracted
anu severe storm, or series of storms. were
very weak, and had March given us lib,
erai snare OF It's bluster, with more or less
severe snow storms and keen northeast
winds, the losses of stock would have been
much greater than they are. Already
! From the moist valley to the whitehead hill
| Lea py the breeze. the vivid verdure runs.
! And swe.ls and deepens,"
ana stock of all kinds is recuperating ran.
| idly. The danger of further mortality
among the herds and fiocks of this TERRITORY
is Iully past. Fort Benton is the center OF
| probably the greatest range country OF
Montana, both as to the extent and excel
| fence OF the same. The oyercrowding Of
| sections, has not as yet obtained here fol
| which we are doubtless indebted to our re-
moteness from railroads. 1t is $50 miles
from Fort Benton 10 Helena the nearest
point on the Northern Pacific, and nearly
twice that distance to the utmost points of
the northern ranges. From the best infor-
| nation that can get, as the result of in
| teryleWs with many owners of herds, I
| place the
Loss OF CATTLE
IN Northern Montana at 20 per cent. OF
| sneep at IL per cent, of horses no loss out
OF the ordinary. If the whole of Montana
Is tobe taken into the count thesea figures
would have to be slightly increased. Ex-
| aggerated and outrageous reports as to the
| stock losses of this territory have been sent
to the Eastern press by unreliable cor
| respondents. and therefore desire to give
to the readers of the GLOBE the foregoing
as the correct situation, as nearly as can be
arrived at at this time. Of course it is an
| impossibil!ty to give the exact percentage
OF the loss as yet, but l think it will be
found that these estimates are not far out
OF the way. For five or six years past the
| Northern, Union and Canadian Pacific
Railroad companies have talked about and
promlshed to build branch roads into North
ern Montana, with Fort Benton
as the objective point. But it
is an apparent fact that they
have not done it. and 1 do not know that
they, or either of them. are likely to fulfill
the promise very soon. However, we are
soon to have railroad and from quarter
that was little thought of until within the
last year-the st. Paul. Minneapolis &
Manitoba road. which promises to build GOO
miles OF track this season, from Minot to
Helena. Preparations are going forward
on an extensive scale for this great work,
and there seems to be no doubt as to- its ac-
| complishment. The preliminary survey has
been run the entire length and -
| THE ENGINEERS
are now busy at various points locating the
line. AS the snow is entirely gone and the
frost out of the ground in Montana as far
4 east as the influence of the genial chinook
wind is felt (say to the big bend of Milk
/ river it Is expected that work will begin in
this section just as soon as the sub-contracts
can be let. st. Paul does not dream of the
vast and unsurpassed country that
| is soon to be opened up by this
road and made tributary to the Twin Cities.
The road does not pass through a mile of
bad lands, but wholly through productive
region where agriculture and stock growing
will flourish in the highest degree. A
comparison between this route and that of
! the Northern Pacific would not be fiattering
to the latter. and in the important matter
of grades the Manitoba has most decided
advantage in that its maximum grade for
the magnificent distance named is forty-fiya
feet to the mile. This road passes through
a wonderful country in Montana. l do not
speak of Dakota. because have no partic-
ular knowledge of that region. From Fort
Buford it follows the valley of the Missouri
to the mouth of Milk river; thence up the
valley of the latter stream to Fort Assinni-
boine; thence southwesterly to Fort Benton
and on to Helena and Butte, through the
coal fields of Northern Montana and
! tapping the great mining districts of the
/ territory. Much of this country is still an
4 Indian reservation, the Manitoba company
fhavlng been granted right of way through
/ it by congress. but it will unquestionably be
OPENED TO SETTLEMENT
by the next congress- as satisfactory treat
les to that end have been made with the
Indians by the Northwestern Indian COM
mission. When this result is achieved it
will be the most inviting field for the set
tier left in the great Northwest, or else
| where. | quote from q letter written by
| an intelligent ''old timer who spent sew
eral years in the Milk river country, as
showing some of the features of that re-
gion, through the valley of which stream
tie railroad runs for over 200 miles:
'Fr0m Fort BelknaD TO the mouth OK
Milk river, which empties into the Missouri
II miles east of old Fort Peck. the timber
gradually becomes heavier, and the valleys
widen out until they attain width of sew
eral miles in places The tributaries o.
this stream are numerous and i'm
portant. with broad and fertile valleys,
and the prairies back from the streams ars
covered with a heavy growth OF bunck
and buffalo grasses, the life of stock.
In my opinion there Is no place out Ok
doors that offers more attractions to the
husbandman and stock grower and no por-
ton of Montana that will sustain as large
population. When the railroad enters THU
fall and it is opened for settlement it wiz
fill up almost as rapidly as did Dakota
This new empire and that still west of it t,
base of the Rocky mountains. where stoch
and other industries are now flourshing,
will be put in direct communication with
! the Twin Cities and will add not a little to
their business and prosperity. As the Man
itoba moves on to the Rockies it would not
be amiss for The business men OF your city
to look after and foster the trade of this
new region. 1t will be worth the trouble
BENTON,
WatertOWn.